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bonze

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bonze

[bonz]
–noun
a Buddhist monk, esp. of Japan or China.

Origin:
1580–90; < MF < Pg bonzo or NL bonzius < Japn bonsō, bonzō ordinary priest (bon- ordinary + priest < MChin, equiv. to Chin fán-sēng); or < dial. Japn bonzu for bōzu priest
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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bonze   (bŏnz)   
n.  A Buddhist monk, especially of China, Japan, or nearby countries.

[French, from Portuguese bonzo, from Japanese bonsō : bon, ordinary (from Middle Chinese buan, fhan) + , monk (from Middle Chinese səng, from Sanskrit saṃghaḥ, collection, brotherhood of monks, from saṃhanti, saṃgha-, to put together : sam, together; see sem-1 in Indo-European roots + hanti, he strikes; see gwhen- in Indo-European roots).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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